KNOX NEWS | November 28, 2024

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, a season of expectation, fellowship, study and worship. Rev. Adam Fronczek’s message will focus on how the advent of Christ helps us see the world with new eyes. You can prepare for his message by contemplating this scripture.

Start the Advent season with the Hanging of the Greens and a special Feast at Knox this Sunday.

You’re invited to another free Knox Feast—this one featuring a delicious holiday buffet from Chef Jake as we kick-off Advent 2024. We’ll gather at Knox in the Commons at 5:00pm this Sunday, December 1 (the first Sunday of Advent) for dinner and activities including cookie decorating, setting up decorations around Knox, and much more. Truly something for everyone of every age!

Volunteers are needed to help with set up and cleaning up! Please sign up to volunteer here.

Come a bit early to the Advent Feast for the annual Hanging of the Greens!

A favorite tradition at Knox is decorating the church outdoors and indoors for the holidays…and you are invited to take part. Come to Feast at bit early at 3:00pm and help hang decorations and get 3400 Michigan Avenue in a holiday spirit! Sign up here.

You are invited to an Advent study with Knox pastors, via Zoom on December 4, 11 and 18.

Join our pastors on Wednesdays at 12:00pm-12:45pm via Zoom to explore the reflections from the Knox Advent Journey cards: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Each week a pastor will lead discussion on insights and meaning we take from these themes. Make sure to pick up a set of Advent Journey cards starting December 1 in the Narthex, Lobby or Commons. Read one card per day till Christmas!

December 4: Hope (Adam Fronczek leading)

December 11: Peace (David Annett leading)

December 18: Joy & Love (Jana Reister leading)

Here is the Zoom link for each of the three sessions.

Knox Music Series features a Berlioz masterpiece on December 15

The Knox Music Series offers a rare chance to hear Hector Berlioz’s masterpiece Christmas oratorio “L’enfance du Christ” (“The Childhood of Christ”) in the Knox sanctuary at 5:00pm on Sunday, December 15. The Knox Choir and Knox soloists, as well as guest soloists, will be under the baton of Knox Music Director Earl Rivers. There will be refreshments at intermission. Free and open to all (a free will offering will be collected). No registration is needed. More information at Knox.org/music.

The Longest Night worship service on December 18

Especially during the holiday season, many people struggle with grief for missing loved ones and other life challenges. This 7:00pm service, held on one of the longest and darkest nights of the year, offers reflective, soul-soothing comfort through quiet music, prayer and readings. All are welcome to attend.

Christmas Eve Worship

• At 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve join us for our family service that features a children's Christmas Pageant, singing, and candle-lighting.
• At 9:00pm Knox offers the traditional Candlelight Service with scripture readings and music, all culminating in a congregational candle lighting.

Another Knox holiday tradition: the Christmas Giving Tree for the children in the East Westwood neighborhood

Our Giving Tree Tradition continues! The Knox/Third Fellowship Ministry is seeking your support to help give children in need a special Christmas this year. As in years’ past, we are working to provide essential gifts for children, including clothing and educational toys. Please consider supporting a family from our Third Church Community. 

To register, simply click here to complete the online signup form. Christine Carli will email you soon with a wish list for each child, along with instructions for dropping gifts at Knox. (You also are welcome to drop ship to Knox from Amazon or other online retailers.)

Thank you for your Christmas generosity!

All aboard the Meal Train to help Tina Hubert and family!

As you may have heard from the Knox eNews last week, Tina Hubert, our Director of Faith Formation, will be undergoing intensive chemo that entails six 5-day hospital stays between now and March. She has asked for Meal Train support to help her family during this time. Please consider signing up to provide a meal for Tina and her family!

And if your busy holiday schedule makes it difficult to prepare some extra meals, consider a Door Dash gift card.

Tina’s Meal Train link is HERE.

Please help Knox host homeless families starting this weekend

Register here for the next Interfaith Hospitality Network/Found House Rotation at Knox, which runs Sunday, December 1 through Sunday, December 8. This will be the final time this year that Knox provides emergency shelter at our building for families in need of temporary housing.

The Church of the Redeemer in Hyde Park has been invited to join Knox with this rotation. We hope that you will meet several of the Redeemer members and that you will take the time to orient and welcome them to our mission.

Click here to sign up for the various roles or pantry/refrigerator items we need in December. Any questions? Call Maggie on her cell phone: 312.730.0041 or email her at mshreve@knox.org.

IHN/Found House is conducting a holiday giving drive! Read about it here.

All are invited to the annual Knox/Third Church holiday lasagna lunch on Sunday, December 22!

We will gather at Third Church, the Knox Mission Partner located at 3358 McHenry Avenue, at 12:30pm and eat close to 1:00pm. There’s plenty of time for fellowship and holiday activities…and a delicious lunch of lasagna with a variety of sides and desserts. 

This is a busy time of year and there will be so many activities going on in your families, but you’ll be glad if you make time for this annual event! If you have out of town guests, bring them along! Even if you cannot make it for the entire time, drop in for a short time and take a nibble and greet our friends.

Knox Name Badge Order Opportunity

Whether you are a member, regular attender, or periodic visitor, we invite you to order a badge for you and anyone in your household. (NOTE: New members and their households are gifted a Knox name badge upon joining the church.)

To order a first-time, replacement, or an extra Knox name badge, click here: Knox Name Badge Order Form.

The deadline for this order is Monday, December 2. Knox Office Manager Angela Sparks will let you know when your badge arrives. (Allow several weeks for delivery to Knox.) Questions? Contact Angela at asparks@knox.org.

2025 Stewardship Campaign update: an amazing season of gratitude at Knox

We are in the midst of an amazing season of gratitude and giving at Knox, but if we are to make our goal, we need to hear from others who have not pledged yet. Please return your pledge card (you also can pick up one at Knox) or pledge online at Knox.org/give.

To date, the majority of pledges received to date showing substantial increases in planned giving. We’ve also heard from individuals and families who have never made a pledge before. THANK YOU to all who have made a pledge!

Next in the Knox Film Series Film Series: Nomadland

This 2020 American drama film is written, produced, edited and directed by Chloé Zhao. The film stars Frances McDormand as a widow who leaves her life in Nevada to travel around the United States in her van as a nomad. At the 93rd Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for McDormand, from a total of six nominations.

Watch the movie on you own and then join us we discuss it on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:00pm at the home of Alexa and Jim Naramore.

For further information, please contact Tina at thubert@knox.org.

Check your listing and photo in the Knox directory

All the pictures in the paper directory have now been uploaded to the church’s on-line directory. To view it, you may want to bookmark this link and use the password 4Knox! The on-line directory is for use by members only. Those without pictures are also listed. If you don’t find yourself listed, contact Angela Sparks in the church office.

Knox Men!

Join us for some holiday cheer on December 11

The final gathering of the Knox Men’s Group will be at the Pub at Rookwood on December 11 at 6:30pm. All men are invited! (And if you’ve never joined one of our gatherings before, this would be a great first event for you!)

Details and RSVP at this link.

Knox holiday hours

Knox will be closed November 28 and 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. The building also will be closed on December 25 and 26 for Christmas.